Decomposition, δ13C, and the “lignin paradox”

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Preston ◽  
J. A. Trofymow ◽  
L. B. Flanagan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Plants ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Brown Rot ◽  
Proximate Analysis ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
Decomposition Of Organic Matter ◽  
Brown Rot Decay

The natural abundance of 13C (δ13C) generally increases with decomposition of organic matter. This is contrary to the expected decrease, as lignin is hypothesized to accumulate relative to isotopically heavier cellulose. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that 13C depletion should be observed for gymnosperm logs that typically develop advanced brown-rot decay with high lignin content. With increasing lignin concentration [previously determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)], δ13C tended to become more negative for samples of Pseudotsuga menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, and unidentified species from Coastal Forest Chronosequence sites of southern Vancouver Island. For a larger sample set without NMR analysis, δ13C was significantly more depleted for the highest decay classes, and total C was negatively correlated with δ13C, consistent with the higher total C of lignin than of cellulose. Relationships of total C and δ13C with density were much weaker. We discuss causes for the variability of δ13C in coarse woody debrisfrom these sites, and how the apparent paradox in the predicted change of δ13C with decomposition is largely due to the confusion of lignin, the biopolymer produced by higher plants, with the acid-unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) of the proximate analysis procedure commonly used to assess litter quality in decomposition studies. Key words: Coarse woody debris, decomposition, lignin, 13C NMR, δ13C, proximate analysis

Heartwood extractives and lignin content of different larch species ( Larix sp.) and relationships to brown-rot decay-resistance

Trees ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Notburga Gierlinger ◽  
Dominique Jacques ◽  
Rupert Wimmer ◽  
Luc E. P�ques ◽  
Manfred Schwanninger
Keyword(s):  
Lignin Content ◽  
Brown Rot ◽  
Decay Resistance ◽  
Larch Species ◽  
Brown Rot Decay ◽  
Heartwood Extractives

Études mycologique, entomologique et physico-chimique de troncs de Betula pendula en voie de dégradation. I. Répartition spatiale de l'état physico-chimique et de la mycoflore des troncs

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 1657-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Hélène Prince Sigrist ◽  
Daniel Job
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Biomass ◽  
Betula Pendula ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Brown Rot ◽  
Absorption Capacity ◽  
Decay Process ◽  
White Rot ◽  
Water Absorption Capacity ◽  
Decayed Wood ◽  
Brown Rot Decay

Decaying Betula pendula Roth trunks (measuring about 6 m in length) with brown rot or white rot were analyzed for the followings: stage of decay, wood structure, porosity, chemical composition of decayed wood, spatial distribution of fungal biomass, and mycoflora diversity. The fungal biomass in the trunks, although heterogeneous, is higher in white rot than in brown rot. As expected, the lignin/holocellulose ratio is higher in brown rot than in white rot (maximum 14.83 versus 0.67). Brown rot is generally more porous than white rot and presents a higher water absorption capacity but it retains less air. The results show that the basidiomycetes mycoflora is active in the white rot decay process. However it is not involved in the brown rot decay process because the wood is already much decayed (as much as 80% and more of lignin content). With the exception of moulds, the only mycoflora that could be isolated repetitively from the brown rot station was in fact pockets of white rot. Moreover, in brown rot, none of the epiflora matched the isolated endoflora. Keywords: white rot, brown rot, mycoflora, biomass.

Decomposition and change in N and organic composition of small-diameter Douglas-fir woody debris over 23 years

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1153-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Preston ◽  
J.A. Trofymow ◽  
J.R. Nault
Keyword(s):  
Woody Debris ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
White Rot Fungi ◽  
Brown Rot ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
White Rot ◽  
Resonance Spectroscopy ◽  
Organic Composition ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Brown Rot Decay

Managing second-growth forests for multiple benefits requires enhanced information on decomposition of woody debris generated during forestry operations. Experimental thinning and biomass sampling at the Shawnigan Lake Research Forest on southern Vancouver Island facilitated retrospective sampling of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stem sections (4.9–21.5 cm diameter) from 0 to 23 years after cutting. A sigmoidal pattern of density loss was observed, while a single-exponential fit gave a decay rate (k) of 0.058 year–1. Initial N concentrations were higher in bark than in sapwood and heartwood, and all increased during decay, while C/N ratios declined to around 175 for wood and 70 for bark. Nitrogen contents initially increased but tended to decline after about 50% C loss. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed little change in organic composition, consistent with white-rot fungal decay, with only a few 19-year samples showing large increases in lignin typical of extensive brown-rot decay. Hydrolyzable monosaccharides of wood and bark were dominated by glucose followed by mannose, xylose, galactose, and arabinose. For wood, the mole fraction of mannose decreased with decomposition, whereas those of glucose, arabinose, and galactose increased slightly and that of xylose remained constant for both brown and white rot. Our results support indications that decomposition of smaller diameter woody debris from managed conifer forests will likely be dominated by white-rot fungi, leaving residues high in cellulose rather than in lignin.

Nitrogen fixation in coarse woody debris of Thuja plicata and Tsuga heterophylla forests on northern Vancouver Island

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1670-1682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Brunner ◽  
J P Kimmins
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Nitrogenase Activity ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Vancouver Island ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Asymbiotic nitrogenase activity in coarse woody debris was measured using the acetylene reduction assay under ambient conditions in three different stand ages (5, 53, and 88 years old) of an unmanaged second-growth Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. – Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex J. Forbes forest type and a Thuja plicata Donn. ex D. Don – Tsuga heterophylla old-growth forest on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Four different decay classes of coarse woody debris, different species in the early decay stages, and sapwood and heart wood were sampled separately. Mean nitrogenase activity ranged between 1.3 and 19.5 nmol C2H4·d–1·(g dry mass)–1, with an overall mean of 5.7. High variability of the activity rates between logs and within logs was observed in all four stands. Mean activity rates were, in most cases, significantly different between decay classes, with generally increasing nitrogenase activity with the progress of decay. Moisture content of the samples was a good predictor of nitrogenase activity and could explain differences between decay classes. Only minor differences in nitrogenase activity were found between the different stands. Estimates of nitrogen fixation ranged from 1.0 to 2.1 kg N·ha–1·year–1, the magnitude of these values depending more on the mass of coarse woody debris substrate available for asymbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria (103–158 t·ha–1 in this study) than on differences in nitrogenase activity rates. The measured nitrogenase activity and the resultant estimates of nitrogen fixation are among the highest values reported in the literature.

scholarly journals Effect of Exogenously Applied 24-Epibrassinolide and Brassinazole on Xylogenesis and Microdistribution of Cell Wall Polymers in Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) De Wit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Pramod ◽  
M. Anju ◽  
H. Rajesh ◽  
A. Thulaseedharan ◽  
Karumanchi S. Rao
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Leucaena Leucocephala ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
Lignin Content ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Wall Structure ◽  
Vessel Element ◽  
Xylem Differentiation ◽  
Cell Wall Polymers

AbstractPlant growth regulators play a key role in cell wall structure and chemistry of woody plants. Understanding of these regulatory signals is important in advanced research on wood quality improvement in trees. The present study is aimed to investigate the influence of exogenous application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) and brassinosteroid inhibitor, brassinazole (BRZ) on wood formation and spatial distribution of cell wall polymers in the xylem tissue of Leucaena leucocephala using light and immuno electron microscopy methods. Brassinazole caused a decrease in cambial activity, xylem differentiation, length and width of fibres, vessel element width and radial extent of xylem suggesting brassinosteroid inhibition has a concomitant impact on cell elongation, expansion and secondary wall deposition. Histochemical studies of 24-epibrassinolide treated plants showed an increase in syringyl lignin content in the xylem cell walls. Fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed the inhomogenous pattern of lignin distribution in the cell corners and middle lamellae region of BRZ treated plants. Immunolocalization studies using LM10 and LM 11 antibodies have shown a drastic change in the micro-distribution pattern of less substituted and highly substituted xylans in the xylem fibres of plants treated with EBR and BRZ. In conclusion, present study demonstrates an important role of brassinosteroid in plant development through regulating xylogenesis and cell wall chemistry in higher plants.

scholarly journals Colored cotton wastes valuation through thermal and catalytic reforming of pyrolysis vapors (Py-GC/MS)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janduir Egito da Silva ◽  
Guilherme Quintela Calixto ◽  
Rodolfo Luiz Bezerra de Araújo Medeiros ◽  
Marcus Antônio de Freitas Melo ◽  
Dulce Maria de Araújo Melo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lignin Content ◽  
Proximate Analysis ◽  
Catalytic Reforming ◽  
Pyrolysis Products ◽  
Heating Value ◽  
Colored Cotton ◽  
Benzene Toluene ◽  
Naturally Colored Cotton ◽  
Main Influence

AbstractThis study aims to analyze the products of the catalytic pyrolysis of naturally colored cotton residues, type BRS (seeds from Brazil), called BRS-Verde, BRS-Rubi, BRS-Topázio and BRS-Jade. The energy characterization of biomass was evaluated through ultimate and proximate analysis, higher heating value, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content, thermogravimetric analysis and apparent density. Analytical pyrolysis was performed at 500 °C in an analytical pyrolyzer from CDS Analytical connected to a gas chromatograph coupled to the mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The pyrolysis vapors were reformed at 300 and 500 °C through thermal and catalytic cracking with zeolites (ZSM-5 and HZSM-5). It has been noticed that pyrolysis vapor reforming at 500 °C promoted partial deoxygenation and cracking reactions, while the catalytic reforming showed better results for the product deoxygenation. The catalyst reforming of pyrolysis products, especially using HZSM-5 at 500 °C, promoted the formation of monoaromatics such as benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene, which are important precursors of polymers, solvents and biofuels. The main influence on the yields of these aromatic products is due to the catalytic activity of ZSM-5 favored by increased temperature that promotes cracking reactions due expanded zeolites channels.

Distribution of leaf orientations in six conifer species

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh J Barclay
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Leaf Angle ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Abies Grandis

Leaf angle distributions are important in assessing both the flexibility of a plant's response to differing daily and seasonal sun angles and also the variability in the proportion of total leaf area visible in remotely sensed images. Leaf angle distributions are presented for six conifer species, Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl., Thuja plicata Donn. ex D. Don, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. and Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia. The leaf angles were calculated by measuring four foliar quantities, and then the distributions of leaf angles are cast in three forms: distributions of (i) the angle of the long axis of the leaf from the vertical for the range 0–180°; (ii) the angle of the long axis of the leaf for the range 0–90°; and (iii) the angle of the plane of the leaf for the range 0–90°. Each of these are fit to the ellipsoidal distribution to test the hypothesis that leaf angles in conifers are sufficiently random to fit the ellipsoidal distribution. The fit was generally better for planar angles and for longitudinal angles between 0° and 90° than for longitudinal angles between 0° and 180°. The fit was also better for Tsuga heterophylla, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Picea sitchensis, and Pinus contorta than for Abies grandis and Thuja plicata. This is probably because Abies and Thuja are more shade tolerant than the other species, and so the leaves in Abies and Thuja are preferentially oriented near the horizontal and are much less random than for the other species. Comparisons of distributions on individual twigs, whole branches, entire trees, and groups of trees were done to test the hypothesis that angle distributions will depend on scale, and these comparisons indicated that the apparent randomness and goodness-of-fit increased on passing to each larger unit (twigs up to groups of trees).Key words: conifer, leaf angles, ellipsoidal distribution.

Black Bear Damage to Thinned Timber Stands in Northwest Montana

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Mason ◽  
David L. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Black Bear ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Pinus Monticola ◽  
Larix Occidentalis ◽  
Western Larch ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Northwest Montana

Abstract Bear damage was at least five times higher in thinned blocks than in adjacent unthinned blocks of western larch (Larix occidentalis), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) on the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana. Western larch suffered the greatest damage (63% of all trees damaged and 92% of the trees killed). Damaged larch ranged from 4 to 13 in. dbh; the 4 to 8-in. dbh class accounted for 85% of the damage. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), western white pine (Pinus monticola), and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) were not damaged. Stand projections showed up to a 17% reduction in board-foot yield from bear damage, after 50 years, compared with hypothetical undamaged stands. West. J. Appl. For. 4(1):10-13, January 1989.

Susceptibility of Western Conifers to Laminated Root Rot (Phellinus weirii) in Oregon and British Columbia Field Tests

1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Nelson ◽  
Rona N. Sturrock
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Root Rot ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Giant Sequoia ◽  
Phellinus Weirii

Abstract Several species of conifers were outplanted around infected stumps in Oregon and British Columbia to measure their susceptibility to laminated root rot caused by Phellinus weirii. Grand fir (Abies grandis) experienced nearly 30% mortality caused by P. weirii. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) mortality exceeded 20%. Noble fir (A. procera), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) mortality averaged less than 10%. Western white pine (P. monticola) and lodgepole pine (P. contorta) mortality was less than 1%. Phellinus weirii did not cause mortality of western redcedar (Thuja plicata) or redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). Apparent susceptibility, based on mortality over 17-20 growing seasons, was similar to that recorded in past field observations. West. J. Appl. For. 8(2):67-70.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document